Rising Flames-Broken Innocence 2 (Sequel)
by graceylovesspn
Summary: One year after the events that introduced the sisters to their magic, all seems normal. But one night Phoebe finds out Paige is keeping secrets, Prue and Piper are attacked and their home is set on fire. Phoebe and her sisters must cope with a devastating betrayal, their new powers, and their own demons to overcome and save their family-and the world. All 4 sisters. Magic. Sequel


**Chapter One: The Burning **

He stands in an all-black cloak, in front his master, kneeling on the cold stone floor. He is scared, terrified actually, but he hides his shaking hands in the long sleeves of his cloak. This is a business meeting, but not one that requires handshakes; just prophecies, betrayals and deals that if broken, will end in death.

"And so, it is done," his master says, breath all fire and wind. It is almost a taunt, a _will you actually be able to pull this off? _

He knows he must. He does not think about his planned steps, the follow through—or the aftermath. But it's in his blood, it's a part of him.

Yes, a part of him.

An important part he cannot ignore any longer.

"Kill them all, capture their powers, and bring it to me," his master says again.

He grips his knees and stands, bowing deep. "Yes, master. I promise."

With that his master disappears in a ball of fire, and he is left standing along, trembling thinking about what has to be done, deep in the bowels of hell.

**Phoebe's POV**

Prue asks the question in a gentle voice, but all I hear is urgency and nagging.

"I'll _get it done."_

Prue sighs, exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. "Pheebs, you have been saying that for the past two months, the deadline is in two weeks and you haven't even picked your program?!"

"I'm _thinking,"_ I say between gritted teeth.

"Well think faster."

With that, my anger, which I have tried to breathethrough comes tumbling out of my mouth in a frustrated growl. "Shut up! I'm trying!"

It's out and I can't take it back. I hear the words and knows how they must sound. I know my older sister is only trying to help, and things have been so much better between us, but there's always something simmering with our two personalities that I just can't keep it under lip sometimes. I am stressed about my future (more than Prue believe it or not) and all this constant nagging is getting me irritated. It isn't that I don't want to go to university next year, I'll gladly move out, it's just that I have other things on my mind. Cole and our future, Paige and why she's been so distant lately…this magic thing Prue never seems to talk about. It's just all _here, _my problems exist in Sam Francisco, and as much as I want to leave and start my own life, I'm not sure I can without my sisters. Am I ready for us to go our separate ways?

However, I can't tell this to Prue. Sure, we talk. But this is a Piper problem. Piper would just listen, and she's less explosive. But Piper's been away in New York for the first half of the semester, doing a two-month placement for the second and final year of her culinary diploma. She'll be back in two weeks…just as the college deadline is up. I could text, but I don't want to distract all the love making I'm sure Leo and her are up to.

I'm expecting Prue to explode, but instead Prue sucks in a sharp breath of air, turns on tail, and leaves my room without a word.

Okay. That's actually _worse. _

I resist the urge to follow like a lost puppy and inquire Prue as to what she's thinking about me. But I don't want to poke the lion when I've already yelled in her face.

I know I'm not being fair; I'm not the only one with problems, but mine just seem too big sometimes, they crowd my mind. Also, it's Prue's birthday tomorrow, and Paige is still out getting the gift. God, what is taking that girl so long?

Just as if the thought is a premonition, I hear the door slam and my little sister yell "Prue, ya here?"

A grunt in confirmation from Prue.

Paige takes the stairs to our room.

She comes skidding in, out of breath and collapses onto my bed where she crumples about half of the dreaded college applications that I've printed.

"_Paige,"_ I say, and push her off her bed with my foot. Paige flops onto the floor in a heap, and is so giddy she lets out a giggle, grabbing my foot to hoist herself back up on the bed. She pushes the papers out of the way and settles against the pillows beside me.

"So?" I ask, turning my full attention to my little sister.

"He'll do it." Paige holds out the printed artwork.

"It's beautiful," I whisper.

In my hands I hold a paper, with a printed image of four lilac flowers, all intertwined. It was Paige's idea. Ever since Mom was alive, she had planted lilac flowers for each of us girls when we were born. They died after Mom did, no one had the heart to water them.

After everything that happened last year, Prue went out and bought four lilac bushes and planted them in the backyard. She said it was a symbol of our sisterhood, and how we would always be together, it would remind us of our roots. But with it being close to November, the lilac flowers have died. Paige thought how sweet it would be for the four of us to get tattoos of the lilacs on our arms so they would be in bloom all year round. I _loved _the idea. Piper did too, but she cautioned Prue's stance on tattoos.

A hard no.

Paige thought to present it in the form of a gift, and maybe Prue would say yes. Paige had just met with Glen's older cousin, Harry, who designed it for us. This is the first time I'm seeing it. And not only is it a good excuse to get my first ever tattoo with Prue's permission, but it actually is a lovely design and idea.

"October 28th. Tomorrow," I say, dramatic.

"The day of truth. Judgement. Possibly the reckoning," Paige plays along.

"In all honesty, I think Prue will love it," Paige adds.

"Or she'll freak," I say. "But either way she can't say we didn't get her a gift."

Paige gives me a devilish grin and then goes a little quiet, a sigh of contentment.

"So," I say, venturing into unchartered waters. "It took you two hours to pick up a design from Harry?"

Paige pauses, side-eying me. I can see the gears in her mind turning.

"Yeah," she says. Her demeanor has changed, and she seems to put up a wall.

"You sure?" I ask, prying a bit. I can feel Paige's nerves firing up when she shifts away from me slightly.

"Pheebs, I don't have time for your twenty questions, I have homework."

I bite my next words—a maybe not so nice retort that it _is _my business and why the hell is she acting all weird? and swallow it all. It sits like a hard-little lump at the bottom of my stomach. Paige slides off my bed and goes to her backpack, pulling out her binder-grade ten science. She had Mr. Hardwell this year, and just like his name, that class _sucks._

"Need help?" I ask. Peace offering.

"No thanks."

_Okay, fine._

"I'm hungry," I say, and make my way out of the room. I head downstairs to the kitchen to try and make peace with Prue, when my cell phone buzzes. I stop mid-step and pull it out of my pocket. The screen shows Piper calling.

I answer on the second buzz. "Hey, wassup love birds, how's all the sex?"

"Phoebe!" Piper exclaims, shocked at my boldness. It's a coping skill. Being bold has less consequences to anger, I've learned. It's also hilarious teasing Piper about Leo.

"He isn't he—"

"Before you finish that sentence, I can hear him in the background buckling up his pants."

A pause. "Shit."

Wait _what?_

"Oh my god Piper, I was teasing. He's actually _there? _Why are you calling me! Keep sweet talking him for another round!"

I hear Piper huff and then the click of a door—she's in another room.

"Did you see the design for the tattoo?" she asks. Her voice sounds echoey—why is she hiding in the bathroom?

"Yes, Paige just brought it home."

"And?"

"It's amazing. It's so pretty, Pipe, Prue'll love it."

"I hope so. God, I hope its not too much of a surprise."

"Prue hates surprises, but she hates tattoos anyways, so maybe two negatives cancel each other out to make a positive?"

"What was your mark in math again?"

"Shut up."

"So," Piper says. "Speaking of positive outcomes, I'm actually on the road. I'm gonna be there tomorrow."

"What, you said you weren't coming for another two weeks!"

"My placement ended early, and I wanted to surprise Prue for her birthday! And we said we'd go as witches for Halloween. I wanted to be there."

"For the sake of irony!" I laugh.

"And maybe to nab Prue a bit, eh?" Piper asks.

She isn't lying. Maybe us dressing up as witches for Halloween will loosen Prue's grip on that ritual book—_The Book of Shadows _Piper said it was called, and she'll let up and tell us where she stashed it. It's been over a year since she banned magic from the manor. Even Piper doesn't know what she's done with it. She's let up on a lot of things over the last fourteen months, but magic, and us being witches is the thing she's hard and fast on. Piper thinks she's scared.

"So when you getting in?" I ask.

"Leo and I are driving from New York."

"That's a two-day drive, you guys are insane."

"We've made it to Colorado, but we are exhausted. We're gonna crash for the night. We got about 20 hours left, so we won't be in until late tomorrow, but we're gonna get up early. Don't give her the gift until then okay?"

"Promise."

"Good."

A beat. Then. "Pipe,"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're coming home, I missed you."

"Me too."

"I hate it when we're apart."

Piper laughs. "Growing up sucks. Well, gotta get some shut-eye. Night Pheebs. See you tomorrow!"

We hang up and suddenly I'm feeling melancholy. Sure, Piper is home now, but this time next year I'll be the one whose gone off to school, then Paige the year after that. I doubt Prue will want to keep living in the manor. What will happen to it? To us? Growing up really does suck balls.

I head on downstairs and find Prue in the kitchen, cooking a late dinner. Meatballs and spaghetti. I come up behind her and gently take her hand off the wooden spoon. She doesn't look at me, but lets me pull her hand.

"Let me cook tonight, Miss Almost-Birthday-Girl."

Prue sends me a small smile.

I lean in, "Sorry," I whisper. Prue rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," she says and pulls me into a quick hug before plunking down at the table.

"So," I say, grabbing the spoon and mixing the sauce. "Reservations at seven tomorrow at Piper's restaurant. Her boss is giving us a good deal, but Paige and I are covering the cost. It'll be a girl's night out."

"Sound fun Pheebs!" Prue says. "I'll miss Piper."

"Eh, we'll bring her picture," I say.

Prue laughs. "Ha, yeah, well. I'm glad she's doing this. Maybe she can open up her own restaurant one day. She has like five years of waitressing experience anyways."

"Yeah," I say.

"Anyways, why don't you finish up on that sauce? The water's almost boiled for the pasta. I'm just gonna head down to the office real quick to do some paper work. Supper at eight?"

I check my watch. Seven thirty. "Sure thing," I say. Prue blows me a quick kiss before she picks up her keys and jacket and leaves. I dump the pasta in the water, set it on low, and run upstairs for my laptop (may as well do some research on college programs) when I hear the jeep pull out of the driveway…as the same time as the front door slam.

Okay, unless Prue has a new power that involves her duplicating herself, she can't be driving the jeep _and _slamming the front door at once. Anyways, Prue only slams the door when she's angry. _Paige _on the other hand slams the door _all the freaking time. _

"Paige!" I call upstairs. No answer. I do a quick sweep of the front hall. Yup, her boots are gone.

"Shit," I say.

I run to the kitchen and turn off the stove, before grabbing my house keys and jacket from the front hall closet and run after Paige.

She's been acting dodgy for weeks, coming home late, being all moody and quiet. Prue isn't too worried, she says when I was fifteen that's how I acted. _She's just becoming a real teenager. _Yeah, well if this is the new Paige, she sucks. But she's already been out tonight, and she's going out again? Without telling anyone? That goes against our unspoken rule of not leaving past eight without telling the other where she's going. Not cool.

The night is cold, even for October, and I wish for something more substantial than Cole's leather jacket. It's worn and thin, but it smells like him, so I let it slide. I rather smell my boyfriend's cologne and freeze than be warm, but you do crazy things for love.

I see Paige's silhouette on the sidewalk, she's walking fast, as if on a mission, and her phone screen is lit up in her hand, as if she's been texting someone. That makes me worried. What the hell is she keeping from us? I pick up a steady pace behind her and start to follow her.

On the way, my mind slides over to Cole. I love him to death, but he seems to be distant from me lately. He says it's just his job, he is working under his dad this summer at his law office, Cole wants to be lawyer so he's working as a law secretary there, and occasionally with his dad on some small real estate cases. It's stressful, I get it. He's going to be headed to the University of San Francisco for Pre-Law next fall. He took a year off and deferred, and honestly that doesn't seem like such a bad idea. But Prue would never hear of it. I make a note to have a chat with Cole about it, and how he convinced his father to let him take a year, and also maybe set up a date…I haven't seen him in week, let alone gotten physical…

Shit! I've lost sight of Paige. Then, I spot the flicker of a street light and see her on the other side of the road, how come I didn't see her cross? She turns down a side street and I make my way to follow her, when my stomach starts doing a funny thing. It twists in on itself, and makes me stop and take a few deep breaths. Okay, weird. But my feet have stopped moving and I'm breathing hard. My body is not having it….oh. Instantly I understand why I'm having a physical panic attack…Paige is headed to the park. The park where I got raped last year on the first day of school.

The one box in my recovery I haven't been able to check off yet. The only thing holding me back. I can't face it. But what is Paige doing?

Whether its big sister curiosity or my protective instincts, I make a promise to myself. _We will just try, okay Pheebs?_

I don't think about the end destination, instead I set my sights on Paige and follow her, down the street, and into the trees. There's the park, the opening of it, past the line of trees. Paige walks over to a bench, as I stay hidden, tucked away underneath the foliage. Hopefully I'm just another shadow.

I see long hair and a flash of a purple scarf in the moonlight. There is a girl on the bench that Paige is meeting. She stands up on tippy toes, she's much shorter than Paige, who has had a major growth spurt in the last year.

Then Paige leans down, places her hands on either side of the girl's face, and kisses her.

It's over as quick as it started, and they sit on the bench facing one another, holding hands. They seem to be in deep conversation, and the energy I get off of them is something electric, the way Paige is cocking her head to listen to the girl makes me think of Cole and I, and the feeling in my chest whenever I look at him. It's love.

This is not what I was expecting.

I am about to slip away, and head back to the manor when my phone starts screaming _My milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard. _It's the ring tone I set for Prue. Shit. I turn it off as quick as I can, but it's too late, Paige has turned her head, stood up and is peering into the trees. I sneak further into the forest. But you could hear that plain as day.

After a small petty fight, the other day, Paige suggested I change Prue's ring tone to a 'racy' song. We thought it was hilarious, and it helped me change with my simmering anger towards Prue into something funny. But that also means Paige recognizes the ring tone.

I stuff my phone into my pocket and await certain doom. I see the figure of the petite girl scurry off in the opposite direction as Paige comes hurtling at me.

"Phoebe what the fuck are you doing here?"

Shit. Paige doesn't swear ever unless she's feeling big emotions.

"I…" I'm speechless.

"I didn't see anything," I finally stammer out. Paige places her hands on her hips.

"So that means you saw everything."

As soon as the last sentence is out, Paige's demeanor changes, she loses the cocky attitude and looks up at me, fear written in her face. I'm about to tell her its okay, when her phone rings. Prue.

"What does Prue want?" Paige huffs.

"Better not answer until we are back at the manor," I tell her. She nods, shutting her phone off. We don't have time to discuss anything that just happened so we book it back to the manor. Explaining this to Prue would be a nightmare, both Paige and I get that. Despite everything, she has a strict curfew on week nights of eight o clock…for all of us. It's almost eight. She's probably back at the manor and freaking out that we aren't there.

We run on the maze of streets, feet pounding on the pavement, both out of breath. We are about to round the corner to our house when Paige stops.

"Pheebs, I can't breathe…"

I stop too, noticing my breathing is coming in hard. The air smells…stuffy, hot, and polluted?

"Smoke."

"What?" I ask. Paige is pointing into the sky. I can make it out against the clear night sky, dark billowing clouds of smoke.

We turn onto our street, and the manor is engulfed in flames.

I make a lunge for the manor and Paige holds me back. "No, Pheebs you'll get yourself killed!" My mind is racing, and I look around wildly for Prue. Paige drags me off to the side and pulls out her phone to call 911, but there are already sirens screaming in the distance.

We can do nothing but watch, as our childhood home becomes buried in bright orange flames. and the roar of wood splintering. Paige screams when the attic window suddenly explodes, and glass shatters near our shoes. The shock sends her into a flurry of tears, and I pull her into my chest, my body finally obeying my brain. We back up even more onto the street.

"It's okay," I whisper to Paige, petting her hair softly because what else can I do? I'm watching my life blow up in flames in front of me. All our belongings, possessions, memories of Mom and Grams, it's all disappearing in orange fire and blue smoke. I'm too shocked too cry. Paige sobs enough for the both of us.

When Prue's ring tone screams out again, I numbly pull my phone from my back pocket and answer.

"Prue?" I ask, my voice comes out wobbly.

"Phoebe! Thank god. Where are you? Where's Paige?"

"We're here," I stammer. "The manor," I clarify. "Outside. It's on fire."

Just as I say the words, Prue's jeep comes squealing onto the street. She stops on the road side and comes running out, phone still in hand. She barely looks at the manor before barreling into Paige and I. She presses her face against my cheek, breathing hard. It seems like she knew. How did she know?

"Thank god, thank god, thank god," she says. She won't stop. Her face is wet, and I think it's tears, until I wipe some of it away, and see red on my fingertips in the moonlight. I pull away, Paige is still tucked into Prue's side, and look at her face. We are almost eye-level now. Her eye is busted, and she has a split lip that's bleeding.

_What the hell?_

Prue sees the questions in my eyes and shakes her head. "No time."

She pulls me close again before I can answer and leads Paige and I to the jeep. She puts us in the front, and turns the engine on, blasting the heat. I'm not even cold. But I don't complain.

"Look after Paige," Prue says, before slamming the door and running back towards the house. I'm numb and frozen.

"Okay," I say to the stifled air she left behind. I turn the heating off and pull a blanket from the back seat around Paige's shoulders. She isn't saying anything. Her eyes are wide and her hands or trembling so I take them in mine and start to sing one of Mom's old lullabies.

The fire trucks comes, and Prue talks to them, while they blast our house with jets of water. I sit in the jeep and hold Paige and sing.

The night goes on forever. This state of our home burning, Paige shaking, Prue's wild hand gestures to the fire fighters. The hum of the jeep's engine. I'm in a dream like state, not realizing if this is real or not. But what does it matter? It's a terrible nightmare asleep or awake.

Paige falls into a shock-induced silence beside me, closing her eyes but not really sleeping. My humming ceases into silence. Prue returns and gently pushes me onto the middle of the jeep bench.

"We're going to Andy's," she whispers, squeezing my hand quickly before shifting into gear. As we pull away from the house I manage to ask.

"Is the house gone?"

"They have kept the fire contained to the first floor."

"But the attic window," I say. "The flames busted it out."

"Not possible, second floor is fine, for now."

"But," I say.

"Pheebs," Prue says, tired. I shut up.

"You're hurt," I say instead, running a finger gently only Prue's cheek. She gently pulls her head from my grasp.

"Paigey, you ok?"

Now she's plain ignoring me.

Paige nods against my arm. "Yeah," she whispers.

"We're gonna stay at Andy's tonight," Prue says, "And it will be okay in the morning."

But she doesn't promise. And when Prue thinks things are going to be okay, she always makes sure to say she promises after. Because Prue has never broken a promise.

We pull into Andy's driveway, when Prue's phone rings. I pull it from the console of the car and am about to answer for her when Prue swipes it from my hands. She has pulled over onto the side and cuts the engine.

"Hello? Piper? What's wrong?"

I hear static then muffled crying on the other side of the phone. Paige picks up her head, and we share a look. Her eyes aren't glazed over anymore, and concern shines bright in them.

"Okay, slow down. It's okay." Pause. "You sure you don't need to go to the hospital? Okay."

"Can you make it here okay? We're at Andy's."

A pause. "I'll explain later."

"Be careful. See you by noon tomorrow. It'll be okay Piper, we'll figure it out. Love you. Call if you need to, I won't be sleeping tonight."

I don't think Paige, or I will be either.

Prue hangs up and stares at the phone in her hand. A sob hitches it's way from her throat. She looks at me with tears in her eyes.

"Piper's been attacked."She points to her busted eye. "I was too tonight. Someone's after us."

I have so many questions, but I say quiet.

The truth hangs in the air between us. Our hearts beat in unison, I can feel Paige's hands grip mine under the blanket. I put a shaky hand on Prue.

"Not again," Prue whispers, shaking her head.

"It won't happen again," I say, trying to be the voice of reason in this confusing, terrible night. "We'll be okay. Piper's on her way here, she isn't in the hospital, we are at Andy's, he's a cop. The second floor of our house is fine. It isn't like that." _It isn't like last time, it can't be, _I don't say.

Prue nods at my speech. "Okay," she says, her voice thick. I can't tell if she believes me or if she's humoring me, but she motions for us to get out of the jeep.

I walk with Paige, and Prue holds my hand. Andy opens the door and he and Prue hug for a long time.

Then we are ushered in, and Andy brings us to his guest room, where Paige and I settle onto the bed, and Prue sits down on a makeshift one on the floor.

"You can sleep in my room Prue," Andy says.

"I'm going to stay with the girls," she says, tired. "Thanks."

"I'll leave you alone. Love you. All," he looks at Paige and me. I smile, Paige nods her head.

When he is gone, Prue lets out a deep breath and looks up at Paige and I.

"You ok?"

"It' doesn't seem real," I say, to say anything.

"I know," Prue says. "But the fire department will call me in the morning, and we'll see how much of the house they can save. They seemed hopeful."

Paige leans heavily on my side, and I gently lay her head on the pillow. Prue moves to the bed and goes about tucking her in. I let her, and move to the bed on the floor, gripping a pillow in my lap. I don't feel like sleeping.

"What happened tonight?" Prue asks me, when Paige is settled onto her side, facing away from us. I look for the motion of her sleeping breath, but it isn't there, which tells me she isn't sleeping, but listening.

"I was going to ask you that. Is Piper okay? Are you? What happened?"

Prue holds up a hand. "Piper is fine, I didn't get details, but she will explain tomorrow. She's okay enough to not go to the hospital. They got away. Her and Leo are driving through the night. They're in Colorado."

"I know," I say. "It was a surprise for your birthday."

"Guess the surprise is ruined," Prue says with a soft smile.

Prue phones rings. She stands up and goes to the hallway, as to not wake Paige, who so obviously isn't sleeping.

Two minutes later she comes back, her lip is trembling and she has a funny look in her eyes.

"Phoebe, how did you and Paige get out of the house? And why didn't you answer your phones?"

I doubt that's important information she needs right now. But her tone is urgent.

"We…" I start. "I….Paige and I went for a walk."

"Oh Phoebe," Prue says. Her voice is full of sadness as she looks at me. Is that disappointment in her eyes?

"The stove," she whispers. "You left it on, and went for a walk?"

I start to say something but stop. Did I leave the stove on? No. I turned it off. I'm sure I did. I try to recount the events of the night.

"I didn't," I say. "Promise."

"That was the firefighters," Prue says. "The house will be fine. Most damage was contained to the first floor in two rooms, the living room and kitchen. They think the fire started in the kitchen."

The weight of her words is heavy. This doesn't make any sense. I turned the stove off. The window in the attic exploded. It must have been someone who set the fire…and then went upstairs and broke a window? Doesn't make sense. But I turned the stove off. I go to reiterate this to Prue, but her face has changed. A hard look falls over her eyes. My stomach drops.

"Prue," I say.

"Go to bed," she says quietly.

I slowly slip into bed on the other side of Paige, away from Prue. My heart is beating out of my chest, and I am wide awake. I won't sleep. But I close my eyes and even my breathing anyways.

I didn't do it. But there's no other explanation. It's not that Prue doesn't believe me. It's that there's no possible way it could have been anything else. Did I really leave the stove on? Did I set the manor ablaze? All because I wanted to follow Paige into the night.

The thoughts rush in and I don't stop them. They surround my entire body and leave me frozen. I replay the events in my head over and over again.

Paige left. Turned stove off. Slipped out of the door. Went to the park. Prue calls. Manor is on fire. Prue is hurt. Piper is hurt. Paige is in shock. Prue blames me. Everything is broken.


End file.
